Calls for religious reform in an age where religious authority seems corrupt can strike a chord with many people. When coupled with a nationalistic appeal, they can threaten to bring about revolution. Jan Hus seemed to be able to combine both these potentially dangerous things. A well-educated priest and administrator at Charles University in Prague, Hus insisted on preaching in Czech rather than in German. Calling for church reform, he attracted a devoted following at the university and among ethnic Czechs in the city and beyond. Hus's beliefs led to his being summoned, under promise of a safe conduct, to the general church council at Constance. The safe conduct notwithstanding, he was arrested, found guilty of heresy, and burned at the stake in 1415. But his death made him a martyr to those who believed in his causes, and he is still remembered today as an authentic Czech hero.

1. Read Jan Hus's final declaration (July 1, 1415), in which he denied holding heretical views, at
   http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1415janhus.html
2. Hus is revered as a hero of Bohemian nationalism. See the large monument to him in Old Town Square in Prague at
   http://www.lss.com.au/prague/pics_pages/stare_mesto/Pages/hus.htm or
   http://www.fragmentsweb/stuff/janhus.html
3. For more information on Hus's life, read the short but informative article at
   http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/margin/hus2.htm
4. Hus's importance as an administrator at Charles University is revealed at the University's website; read a brief history at
   http://www.cuni.cz/cuni/history/historie.html.en